There are many decisions to be made in a residential project lifespan. From determining the appropriate square footage for a new space to accounting for electrical needs and surfing the web for ideas or customizing a design yourself, there are countless tasks that will need to be addressed.

So why hire an architect?

The DKLEVY Architectural Firm explains why an architect will help make any upcoming residential project an enjoyable process, and save you some expense and design despair. Here are the top 10 reasons to hire an architect for your residential project.

1. Fitting the building into the site available.

The land is ready. The dreams are clear. Now how do you make your dream project fit perfectly?

• Architects are able to marry the structure to the site.
• We are designing an experience and part of the experience is the environment surrounding your dream space.

We know the ins and outs of how to design a structure that reflects your dream and also efficiently works in the given space providing the best use for entry/exit, parking, electrical, utilities, landscape, and all the other factors that most people wouldn’t consider before beginning a project. 

2. Fewer expenses.

Along with fitting the building into the site provided, architects work to position and manage the project and keep expenses in your budget! That includes strategically planning for utility costs for the present and for years to come.

For example, with every square foot you increase the building, the cost increases. If we can find ways to be creative with spaces and design for flexibility, then we can bring that square footage down and, in turn, lessen the expenses and put that cash back in your pocket.

Shifting your structure a few degrees here, or adding or subtracting a window there, could save you thousands of dollars over the life span of the building in utility costs. We can optimize each of these critical design elements.

The goal of the architect should always be to provide an energy efficient design. Our goal is to add significant value to your project by providing an energy efficient design without adding cost.

3. Design for your needs and lifestyle.

A client typically has a detailed idea of what they think they need in a residential design.

• Examples
• Images
• Videos
• Themes
• Wishes

It is the architect’s job to listen to your story and understand what each space of the project is intended to be used for which allows the architect to then formulate designs and plans that accurately and successfully depict your vision combined with a suggested layout for best use.

Rooms of a home can easily be designed directly by suggestion, but a great architect will recognize ways to maximize use of a space, lay out additional options and allow you to see the space in a new way as it reflects lifestyle needs as interpreted by the architect.

4. Know what you are getting before building.

Using the latest technologies, architect teams can help you experience your project before spending the big bucks on making unforeseen changes. With the knowledge and expertise of an architect, these changes can be made on paper before costly mistakes are made on the structure.

Clients will experience the design progress by:

• Virtual reality
• 3D drawings
• Interactive designs

It is the role of the architect to craft your vision into a customized plan that you can visualize before even purchasing the first material.

5. Creative use of materials.

It is not the job of the architect to choose expensive materials but to ascribe value to the materials that are chosen.

When designing your project, an architect will lead the discussion of the use of materials.

• Taking an existing historic building or supplies and use that to design a structure
• Refurbishing a family heirloom that helps create memories in a new space
• Considering eco-friendly options for appliances, lighting features, and energy efficient structural designs.

For example, the DKLEVY team was pleased to design a modern senior living community in an existing historic high school in east Tennessee.

6. Coordinating with the contractor.

An architect will work with your contractor to help avoid construction delays, lingering and redos. This includes tracking the project to eliminate tearing out and reconstructing areas of a project that can be avoided with direction.

While working with the contractor, architects like our DKLEVY team look to be adaptable, engaged and proactive with the clients’ best interest at heart. This not only helps with the communication between the architect and contractor, but it allows all parties involved in the project to stay on the same page with timing, expectations and results. 

7. It’s a relationship business.

Let’s face it, a residential project can quickly become a “job” without the necessary expertise and help from an architect. When you work with an architect, you should be getting a quarterback; not a set of drawings. You should be working alongside someone who is going to be the project gatekeeper and act as your voice for setting the quality and the standard for the course of the construction and the project you should receive.

8. Representative for you and your project.

Hiring an architect gives you someone who is your mouthpiece. This representative listens to you, he or she wants to know who you are and what you desire. It’s the difference in going online to purchase a design plan, or you can hire an architect and get a customized experience.

The latter is something that you can, and should, feel proud of because it is unique to you. You can buy a house. You don’t need an architect to buy a house. Working with an architectural firm, you can see pieces of your vision come together to creatively and uniquely design your home. 

9. Know common questions/mistakes.

An online plan will say, ‘here’s your living room and here’s your couch.’ An architect will say, ‘there are no walls in that living room where you can plug in your lamp.’

• We know the problems.
• We see the missing pieces.
• We can design the living room to add the floor outlet in a great place and it might cost $30.00 instead of having to add it later for $3,000.00.

Architects have the expertise to know what problems to solve on paper versus realizing those problems when it’s too late. We think about the right questions and solve them on paper at the appropriate time.

10. Fun.

Any residential design project should be enjoyable. Yes, there are decisions that have to be made and budgets to consider, but it’s the process of creating, designing, following the progress and ultimately living in the project you crafted that should be enjoyable.

In each decision, you have the opportunity to work with a master in the business to create and design along with us in an active way. It’s a relationship business, we are the quarterback, and you receive the vision on paper followed by the dream in reality.

When endeavoring on likely the most expensive purchase of your life, it’s critical to surround yourself with the right team who has your best interest at heart. Architects will give you the peace of mind as they help quarterback the process and help deliver a project you’re proud of.

This is probably one of the most expensive assets you’ll ever buy; therefore, it is imperative to have the right relationships in place. Hiring an architect is the cost of a couple of appliances, but instead you are receiving representation for protecting your biggest asset. It’s a relationship business that requires a quarterback to work for, lead you, and manage the project.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.” Luke 14:28-30

Learn more about the DKLEVY Architectural Firm at DKLEVY.com and on social media @dklevydesign.